Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;sunny yomarilyn&#39;

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; and bright yellow ray florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’.

[0002] The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create new garden-typeChrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirableinflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good gardenperformance.

[0003] The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plantmutation of a proprietary induced mutation that originated by exposingunrooted cuttings ofthe Chrysanthemum cultivar Yomarilyn, disclosed inU.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/224,724, to X-ray radiation inMarch, 1997, in Fort Myers, Fla. The new Chrysanthemum was discoveredand selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within apopulation of flowering plants of the irradiated selection in October,1997 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection ofthis plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive rayfloret color and good garden performance.

[0004] Asexual reproduction ofthe new cultivar by terminal cuttingstaken in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. since December,1997, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Chrysanthemum arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The cultivar Sunny Yomarilyn has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0006] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’ as a newand distinct cultivar:

[0007] 1. Upright and compact plant habit.

[0008] 2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.

[0009] 3. Uniform and freely flowering.

[0010] 4. Decorative-type inflorescences.

[0011] 5. Bright yellow-colored ray florets.

[0012] Compared to plants of the cultivar Yomarilyn, plants of the newChrysanthemum flower slightly later and differ in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

[0013] The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance ofthe new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph at the top of thesheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘Sunny Yomarilyn’. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises aclose-up view oftypical inflorescences ofthe cultivar ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0014] In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., underconditions which approximate those generally used in commercial gardenChrysanthemum production. One rooted cutting was planted in a 15-cmcontainer in July, 2000 and plants were grown under natural seasonconditions. Plants were not pinched, that is, the terminal apex was notremoved to enhance branching. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages for typical flowering plants.

[0015] Botanical Classification Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar SunnyYomarilyn.

[0016] Commerical Classification Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.

[0017] Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of aproprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium induced mutation, not patented.

[0018] Propagation:

[0019]Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

[0020]Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.

[0021]Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.

[0022]Root description.—White, fine and fibrous.

[0023]Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

[0024] Plant Description:

[0025]Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous decorative-type gardenChrysanthemum. Inverted triangle; upright and compact plant form. Stemsinitially upright, then somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformlymounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching with about 10 lateralbranches per plant.

[0026]Plant height.—About 21 cm.

[0027]Plant diameter.—About 27 cm.

[0028]Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 144A.

[0029]Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About5.1 cm. Width: About 3.4 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate. Base: Mostlyattenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses mostly divergent. Texture:Both surfaces, pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface. Color: Youngfoliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: 147B. Maturefoliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface: 147B.Venation upper surface: 147B. Venation lower surface: 147B. Petiolelength: About 1.6 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color,both surfaces: 146B to 146C.

[0030] Inflorescence Description

[0031]Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongatedoblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals abovefoliage, arising from leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a capitulum. About 9 inflorescences per lateral; about 90inflorescences per plant.

[0032]Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants flowerin mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere and continue to flower forat least three weeks depending on weather conditions.

[0033]Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About 6 mm.Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Phyllary color: 143A.

[0034]Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.1 cm. Depth (height): About1.8 cm. Disc diameter: No disc florets. Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm.

[0035]Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2 cm. Corollatube length: About 5 mm. Width: About 6 mm. Apex: Acute, emarginate ordentate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Orientation:Initially upright and incurved, then perpendicular to the peduncle andconcave, and eventually somewhat convex. Number of ray florets perinflorescence: About 152. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:12A. Opened inflorescence, upper surface: 12A to 12B; fading to 12B.Opened inflorescence, lower surface: 12B to 12C.

[0036]Disc florets.—None.

[0037]Peduncle.—Aspect: Flexible, angled about 45 to 50° from the stem.Length: First peduncle: About 5.9 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 8.2 cm.Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: More green than 144A.

[0038]Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None. Gynoecium: Present on bothray florets.

[0039]Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

[0040] Disease Resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not beenshown to be resistant to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums.

[0041] Garden Performance Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have beenobserved to be tolerant to rain and wind.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Sunny Yomarilyn’, as illustrated and described.